Last month, singer-songwriter and former One Direction member Harry Styles released his latest album after four very long years of fans desperately pleading.

In 2022, his album “Harry’s House,” went out into the world, and “Harries” everywhere have been counting down the minutes until his return. Now, the wait is finally over. “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” has 12 songs, about 45 minutes in total. After all this time, was it worth the wait and the ticket prices? Getting right to the point: absolutely not.

My main thought while listening to this album was, “This cannot be what he’s charging hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for tickets for.” This is not to say it’s a bad album; you could play the record in almost any setting, and people would most likely dance, hum along or passively enjoy it. The style of music is supposed to be dance-pop and synth-pop, with inspiration from alternative and funk. 

Here’s what the big issue for me is: if you took out the vocals, the songs would be just as good. Styles sings quietly, which doesn’t work for the music. What you can make out of the vocals leaves no major impression, good or bad. This feels like music you’d hear in the background of a movie or something you’d put on if you wanted to romanticize life and pretend you’re the main character of a film. It’s something, but certainly not the main event. 

It’s clear Styles wanted to experiment with genre, but everything sounds almost the same. The album bleeds together, which is not what you want unless you’re actively looking to dissociate. 

“Season 2 Weight Loss” is the only song that particularly stood out to me. It has the same synth-pop sound, but it’s the only track on the album where you can actually hear everything Styles is singing. It has a much darker sound in a way, which makes me actually want to listen. It’s a metaphor for growth and coming back stronger than you were before. 

“Coming Up Roses,” which follows “Season 2 Weight Loss” on the album, is also okay. It doesn’t have the same dance-pop sound as the rest. It’s the record’s slow dance song, which is fitting because it’s about the vulnerability and insecurity of exploring new love. The soft instrumentals are not only nice because you get to hear Styles’ vocals, but because of how different it is compared to the other songs.

The rest of the album made absolutely no impression on me. There’s an argument that could be made: that means it’s not bad. However, I’d rather listen to an artist take risks and flop than an entire album that’s just “okay.” Styles has reached a point in his career where he can afford to have a couple of bad songs and still be okay. 

If you’re someone who has spent money on Styles’ music, I genuinely hope you enjoy it. I found this to be a very disappointing album from a performer who not only has kept fans waiting for years, but is also charging so much for tickets after said hiatus. Styles is beloved and fully capable of more.